Incident at the Airport

Disclaimer: I do not own Diagnosis Murder or any of the characters. They are owned by CBS and Viacom. I am not making any money just having fun. All Disclaimers Apply.

Author's note: This story is based on my imagination. It is based on another idea I had sometime ago and once again I knew to accomplish this story I had to let reality have a vacation.

Doctors’ Lounge

“Mark we’re here what did you want?”

“Steve’s birthday is coming up and I’d like to surprise him. I need to figure out a way to get him out of the house for a little while around his birthday. I think if we did it on his birthday he’d be too suspicious.”

“Mark we can always do what we did before. Have Steve take over for me at Bob’s while I do an emergency operation.”

Mark sighs. “Not this time Jess. Last time that happened Madison was supposed to come and supply volunteers to help out at the restaurant. Remember she never came until Steve called asking where the volunteers were and you told her.”

“Yes, I remember now Steve was tired for days after that.”

“Yes, I want Steve to enjoy his birthday.”

“Mark why don’t you ask Steve to pick someone up at the airport for you?”

“That’s a great idea Amanda. He’ll be gone for a while and we can get things together for when he comes back. There’s only one problem.”

“What’s that Mark?” asked Jesse.

“Who does Steve pick up at the airport” answered Amanda for Mark.

?“Yes that’s right.”

“How about your brother, Stacy?”

“No, I love my brother Jesse but I doubt he’d be able to keep things a secret from Steve, plus my brother is a hypochondriac. If I ask him to come out and surprise Steve he’d liable to get the impression that someone’s dying.”

“Maybe Captain Newman could help?”

“That’s a great idea Amanda. Steve can come to the airport to pick up a fugitive who’s being escorted back to LA.”

“But Mark won’t Steve get suspicious when there’s no one at the airport to meet him?”

“We’ll have Newman call Steve after a while and tell him that somehow the information was messed up and the flight schedule is off.”

Mark talked to Captain Newman about getting Steve out to the airport under false pretense. Captain Newman was more than willing to help. Steve had been working hard and deserved this surprise party.

-----

Steve sat at the LAX airport waiting by gate 28. According to the captain the felon that he was supposed to take in to custody would be arriving by armed escort on the next flight. Steve had arrived early so he would be aware of any last minute delays or anything. Luckily for him there weren’t any delays. Steve waited for the last passenger to disembark. He couldn’t see any police officers or other officials getting off the plane.

Steve decides to call his captain and ask what was going on.

Captain Newman was at the police station getting ready to go to the beach house to help with the decorations. “Captain,” Steve said when he called. I waited and there was no armed escort waiting for me to help them.”

“Ah..yes Lt. Sorry about that. I just received noticed there was a mix up the plane doesn’t arrive until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow! In that case Captain I’ve been waiting a long time here I’m going home and freshen up.”

Captain Newman needed to stall. He knew Mark and the others were not done yet. “Lieutenant, wait there is paperwork for you do at the office. It’s very important that it gets done.”

Steve sighed “Ok Captain.”

As Steve was walking past the different gates in order to leave the airport there was a commotion. Steve went over to help in the midst of the scuffle Steve’s arm was scraped. He didn’t think anything about it. Just rubbed his right arm. After the disturbance was over and the security guards were dealing with the man who had started the altercation Steve gave his statement and was free to continue to his car to go to the police station. Steve kept rubbing his arm occasionally. It was itching but Steve couldn’t see anything wrong.

Steve arrived at the police station went to his office and closed the door. Steve was feeling hot and tired. He didn’t want to do the paperwork but knew if he didn’t Captain Newman would lecture him.

Steve finally finished. Steve knew he was coming down with something. Now he was not only hot and tired but his right arm had begun to itch even more, small red dots were appearing on it, and he was sweating.

Steve knew he needed help. He looked at his watch and figured his dad would be home by now.

The phone rings and Mark tells everyone to be quiet.

Mark answers the phone “Hello Dr. Mark Sloan.”

An exhausted sounding Steve says “Hi Dad it’s me.”

Mark getting worried says “Steve are you ok?”

“I don’t know Dad I feel tired. Captain Newman makes me wait at the airport to transfer this fugitive. I wait and wait and when the airplane that he was to be on arrives there’s no one to meet me. Then when I call Newman and tell him he says there was a communication error and the flight with the fugitive doesn’t arrive until tomorrow. Then when I tell him I’m going to go home for a while and freshen up he has me doing this lousy paperwork..”

Before Steve could say anything else he suddenly was having trouble breathing.

Mark getting worried says “Steve, Steve are you all right?”

Mark can hear Steve gasping for breath. “Da….d I….ca….n’t ….bre…athe…hel…p…me!”

Mark doesn’t want to lose the connection to Steve he tells Captain Newman and Captain Newman uses his cell phone to direct a police officer to help Steve and then he orders an ambulance sent to the police station. Meanwhile Jesse has already taken off for Community General. One of the officers giving Jesse a ride so that Jesse can get to the hospital fast.

The officer kicked the door down. He saw Lt. Sloan on the floor trying to breathe. The officer did CPR until the ambulance came. Then the EMTs took over. Steve was rushed to Community General with Jesse standing by to once again save his best friend’s life.

Mark was forced to once again pace the doctors’ lounge as he waited for news of his son. Captain Newman had been there for a while to keep him company but an attempted jail break meant he had to go back to work and sort everything out. Mark had no idea what was wrong with Steve. He had seemed just fine earlier in the day. Now Mark kept hearing his son’s pleas for help saying he couldn’t breathe.

Finally Jesse came into the doctors’ lounge. “How..is he…Jess?” Mark tried to get the words out.

“Mark I won’t lie to you it’s pretty serious.. I thought we would have to do a tracheotomy on him at first but we were able to intubate him. The machines are breathing for him.”

“Jess do you know what is causing Steve to be unable to breathe?”

“Mark as far as I can tell Steve has been infected with a slow acting drug that has effected his body’s central nervous system. He probably didn’t notice it at first. Probably just thought he scraped against something.”

“He said he was feeling tired could that be anything?”

“It could be at this point I’m not sure because he was at the airport for a long time. Plus the paperwork that the captain was having him do. He may have been generally tired and then again it may have been the drug working its way through his bloodstream.”

“Jess is there anything we can do?”

“Mark not without the antidote and I can’t get it unless we can find the exact combination of drugs that was used.”

“So in the meantime?”

“All we can do is keep Steve intubated. He’s unable to breathe on his own.”

“Jess we have to find out who did this to Steve. Whoever did knows the combination.”

“I agree Mark but Steve can’t talk right now. How are you going to find out what happened?”

“Call Captain Newman ask him to have someone search the videos at the airport maybe something will be on them.”

“Ok Mark what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to visit Steve. Jess I know he can’t talk but if I ask the right question maybe he can help guide me to who could have done this to him.”

“All right Mark. He’s in ICU # 1.”

“Thanks Jess.”

Mark walked into ICU # 1. Steve was awake. There was an intubation tube in Steve’s mouth. The machines were breathing for him. It was clear from Steve’s eyes that he had been scared.

Mark walked over to his son and putting his right arm around his son’s left arm gave a gentle squeeze. Then with Steve’s blue eyes looking at him for support said “Steve don’t worry we’ll find who did this to you and get the antidote.”

Steve’s eyes portrayed trust and confidence in his father’s words.

“Steve I know you can’t talk but could you answer yes and no questions with your eyes?”

Steve started to blink

“Ok Steve one blink means yes. Two blinks no. Understand?”

Steve blinked once.

“Ok Steve we believe you were at the airport when you were hurt. Is this right?”

Again Steve’s eyes blinked once

“Did it happen while you were waiting for the criminal you were to take into custody to arrive?”

?Two blinks of Steve’s eyes

“When you were leaving the airport?”

Steve’s eyes blinked once. Mark could tell Steve was tired and a little scared.

“Steve, son” Mark said as he again squeezed his son’s hand. “Everything will be ok I promise. We’ll find this person who did this to you and get the antidote. Just rest now.” Mark said as he used his other hand to brush Steve’s hair from his face and massage his head as a gentle way to soothe his son’s fears.

Mark was scared also that his son would have to be hooked up to machines for the rest of his life in order to breathe. However, he knew it had to be even worse for his son.

Mark stayed with his son until he was sure that Steve had fallen asleep. After a few minutes Mark quietly left Steve’s room. He hated to leave Steve just now but if he was going to help his son he needed to talk to Jesse and Captain Newman. Together he knew they could find this person who had endangered his son’s life.

Mark went over to the nurse’s station. “Hello do you know where Dr. Travis and Captain Newman are?”

“Yes Dr. Sloan” said the duty nurse. “They told me to tell you they’d be in your office.”

“Ok thanks.” Mark said as he went on the elevator to get to his office.

Mark entered his office where Jesse and Captain Newman had been waiting.

“Mark we’ll sorry for entering your office without your permission but we figured we’d have more privacy this way.”

“Jess don’t be silly. I understand. I talked to Steve before he became too sleepy. Whatever happened to him was when he was leaving the airport.”

“Do you know where he was?” asked Captain Newman.

“No I’m sorry. Steve was too sleepy.”

“How about the security cameras at the airport?”

“Dr. Travis they’re still going through them. I gave them a picture of Steve. They are going through their surveillance photos for the time when Lt. Sloan was there. They promised to let me know when and if they find something.”

“Could they use some help?” asked Jesse.

“Sure Dr. Travis I’ll call them and let them know you’re coming.”

Mark started to leave. “Mark where are you going?” asked Captain Newman.

“I don’t want Steve waking up alone in his room.”

“Ok Mark when we learn something I’ll have Dr. Bentley come and get you. She can sit with Lt. Sloan then.”

-----

Jesse was at the airport working with security. They had been running the slides that showed Steve at the airport. For a long time there was nothing out of the ordinary. Then Jesse saw something. As Steve was shown walking through the gates there had been an altercation. Jesse had them slow the film and play it in slow motion. Then he had them zoom in.

Jesse called Captain Newman and told him they had a picture of the guy who had scraped Steve. Captain Newman came right away to the airport security.

Jesse and Captain Newman had been flabbergasted that there had been an altercation in which not only was the airport security involved but a police officer at the scene and yet security let the guy go. Captain Newman had started to be furious with Lt. Sloan but Jesse had reminded him that it was possible that by then Steve hadn’t been thinking too clearly.

Captain Newman requested copies of the photos so that he could have them circulated. He also asked if the guy touched anything in the security office that they could use prints off of to get an ID.

They had received word as to whom the fingerprints had belonged to. Jesse couldn’t believe that Malcolm Trainor had once again been able to cause havoc to Mark and Steve while in prison.

Jesse knew it was important to Mark to stay with Steve, however he also knew it had been equally important that he be made aware of any progress. And so with great reluctance Jesse had asked Amanda to tell Mark he was needed in his office while she sat with Steve and comforted him.

Mark rushed into his office. “What do you have?” he asked so fast he reminded himself of an older version of Jesse.

“Dr. Sloan the fingerprints came back. They belong to Edgar Trainor.”

“Trainor!”

“Yes Mark” replied Jesse. “Captain Newman checked Edgar Trainor is Malcolm’s nephew. He doesn’t believe his uncle killed his aunt and blames you for sending his uncle to jail.”

“How…How..”

For once in a great while Mark was at a lost for words.

“How did Edgar Trainor do it?”

“He’s a chemist we’ll just waiting for you. I already have men searching his home and his work.”

“Let’s go!”

While driving to Edgar Trainor’s lab Captain Newman had told Mark that after they had a name to go with the photos at the airport Jesse had told him about what the Trainors had done years before he had come to LA to become the captain.

“So how did Edgar know Steve was going to be at the airport?”

“We are not quite sure but we think Edgar must have been headed in to visit Malcolm when he heard a couple of policemen talking and together they decided to have Edgar cause a disturbance when he noticed Steve walking nearby thus getting Steve involved.”

They arrived at the lab where Edgar worked. Already there were tons of police going through all the files and everything else they could find.

“Captain I don’t think Edgar would have left something like this lying around at his work. Does he have a safe deposit box or perhaps his house would be the best place to look.”

“All right Mark. We’ll go to his house.” Captain Newman told his men to keep looking and then Mark, Jesse and Captain Newman went to Edgar Trainor’s house. Edgar didn’t like seeing Mark at his home and was not going to let him in and then Captain Newman showed him the warrant.

After much searching they found the bottle containing the chemicals that were used to cause Steve’s central nervous system not to work. They raced it down to Amanda and Steve was given the antidote in his IV.

Mark was sitting with Steve. He was now able to breathe on his own but Jesse suggested they use an oxygen mask on Steve just until he fully gained consciousness.

Mark was so glad it was finally over. Edgar Trainor had been arrested. He would be spending years with his uncle. He hated to think what those two would plot together as they both languished in the prison.

Mark had been upset that he had left his son for so long. It wasn’t his intention to be away for hours but he also knew Steve couldn’t be hooked up to machines for the rest of his life. That would have killed his son.

So here Mark sat next to Steve. Watching Steve’s chest inhale and exhale as he breathed on his own. The oxygen mask just on as a precaution.

Finally Steve began to awake. At first he thought it wasn’t over yet when he had seen the oxygen mask over his nose and throat. Mark had told him not to worry and had called Jesse to come and check on Steve. Jesse came and decided that his patient could have the oxygen mask taken off.

When Jesse was done Mark smiled. “Dad something tells me there’s another reason why you’re so happy.”

“Yes there is son. Today’s your birthday. I feared I’d have to spend all day today without you saying a word.”

“Like when can I get out of here! I don’t want to spend my birthday in the hospital.”

“Very good Steve.” Commented Jesse

“Yes son but it would have been more convincing if you didn’t look so weak…Don’t worry Steve you’ll have your birthday celebration it will just have to wait a few weeks until you’ve recovered.

-----

A few weeks later Steve was ready to be released. Steve had not seen Jesse or Amanda and his captain had not come by to tell him he was happy his favorite detective was well enough to go back to work in a couple of days, Steve didn’t want it to show but it had hurt him that his friends and captain hadn’t bothered to come see him before his dad took him home.

Steve had kept to himself on the drive home. Mark knew what his son was thinking. He was having second thoughts. Maybe a surprise party so soon wasn’t such a good idea. Hopefully when Steve saw everyone his mood would change.

Mark had requested that the guests park elsewhere as to not cause his son to be suspicious with all the cars around. As Mark parked the car Steve got out aided a little by his father. Steve was still a little weak but Jesse and Mark had felt that a few days rest at home was all he needed.

Steve opened the door with his father right behind. Out of everywhere it seemed Jesse, Amanda, Captain Newman and several friends from the police department came out and told Steve he was just in time for his “belated birthday surprise”.

Steve smiled.

“Steve I couldn’t tell you this before because it would have ruined the surprise. We were planning to do this for your birthday.”

“Yes Lieutenant that’s why I sent you to the airport so we could get everything ready for you.”

“Ah yes but my best friend can find danger just about anywhere.” Jesse hugged his friend.

Steve held in the tears. These were tears of joy. “I..thought… you had all forgotten about me.”

“Forget about you Steve?” said Amanda. “Never!” As she too hugged Steve.

Then they all gave Steve their presents and Steve celebrated his birthday with his father and friends. A few weeks late but that didn’t matter to Steve. He was home.

The End